Photocopying apparatus

ABSTRACT

D R A W I N G A PHOTOCOPYING APPARATUS IN WHICH THE OPTICAL IMAGE OF AN ORIGINAL IS FORMED WITH DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS ON ELECTROSTATICALLY CHARGED PAPER, FOIL OR LIKE MATERIAL. A MEANS FOR MEASURING THE LENGTH OF PHOTOSENSITIVE PAPER SUPPLIED FROM A SUPPLY ROLL OF PAPER IS PROVIDED, AND THIS MEASURING MEANS ON THE ONE HAND CONTROLS CUTTER MEANS THROUGH COMPARATOR MEANS FOR COMPARING ACTUAL MEASUREMENTS WITH STANDARD FORMATS AND ON THE OTHER HAND CONTROLS A DRIVE MECHANISM FOR DRAWING PAPER FROM SAID ROLL OF PAPER, WHEREBY COPIES OF DIFFERENT STANDARD FORMATS CAN BE OBTAINED WITHOUT CHANGING SHEETS OF COPYING PAPER.

Feb. 13, 1973 w. J. KNECHTEL ET 3,715,944

PHOTOCOPYING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 15, 1970 FIG.

FIG. 2

Filed July 15, 1970 Feb. 13, 1973 w. J. KNECHTEL ET AL 3,715,944

PHOTOCOPYING APPARATUS FIG. 3

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,715,944 PHOTOCOPYING APPARATUS Wilhelm Josef Knechtel, Rodheim, and Detlef Schafier, Wetzlar, Germany, assignors to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, Japan Filed July 13, 1970, Ser. No. 54,512 Claims priority, application Germany, July 14, 1969, P 19 35 616.2 Int. Cl. B26d /00, 7/24 U.S. C]. 83-58 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a photocopying apparatus in which the optical image of an original is formed with different dimensions on electrostatically charged paper, foil or like material.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Presently known photocopying apparatus uses sheets of copying paper having a predetermined size, such as standard format DIN A4. This format cannot be efliciently utilized when an original is copied into a reduced size, such as standard format DIN A5, or when only originals of standard format DIN A5 are copied into the same size. This leads to a high cost of the resultant copies.

There is a further known apparatus in which sheets of photosensitive paper may be delivered from cassettes. These cassettes are replaceable. This enables photosensitive paper sheets of small format to be fed when copies of small size are desired. However, replacement of such cassettes is inconvenient and time consuming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a solution to these problems whereby copies of different standard formats can be obtained without changing sheets of copying paper.

Such object of the present invention can be achieved by the features which will be described hereunder. A web of photosensitive paper is fed from a supply roll of paper, and the length of the paper web thus fed is measured by measuring means, which on the one hand controls cutter means through a comparator for comparing actual measurements with standard formats and on the other hand controls a drive mechanism for drawing a web of paper from the supply roll of paper.

The comparator for comparing actual measurements with standard formats is convenient because the respective functions thereof may be provided by switch action.

Supply of paper web may conveniently be accomplished by a drive roller, which in turn operates an actual measurement counter. When a preselected value is reached in the actual measurement counter, a relay immediately performs its function. That is, the relay stops the drive roller. Cutter means is provided to cut the path of the paper web. Thus, a sheet of copying paper having a pre- 3,715,944 Patented Feb. 13, 1973 scribed format now passes through the apparatus. At the same time, the relay operates to reset the actual measurement counter to zero so that a subsequent amount of paper begins immediately to be supplied.

It has been found that the drive roller may be effectively connected to a pulse generator, such as an apertured disc. Such a pulse generator is operated primarily by a source of light and therefore, means for counting light pulses is provided. When the source of light is turned off, the preselected value is never reached. Thus, paper would be steadily drawn from the roll of paper. To eliminate such a drawback, another form of the present invention employs a safety switch provided in the electric circuit of the source of light to electrically cut off the entire apparatus when the source of light is turned off.

The drive roller may conveniently be connected to a drive motor through a clutch, especially a magnetic clutch, and the relay operates this clutch so that the subsequent supply of paper is already stopped when the amount of paper previously supplied has been cut.

The cutter means may comprise a roll knife of known type controlled by the relay. It has been found convenient that a capacitor is provided through which the relay operates a plunger magnet actuating the knife. When the relay closes a suitable switch, the capacitor discharges to operate the roll knife. When the roll knife returns to its initial position, the capacitor is charged again.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a portion of the apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of certain parts of the portion shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a showing of the manner in which paper is cut.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the roll knife.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS 1 and 2, a web of photosensitive paper 2 is drawn from a supply roll of paper 1 by a pair of rollers 3 and 4. The roller 4 is driven from a motor 5 through a magnetic clutch 6. A dancer roller 7 is disposed between the roller 4 and the roll of paper 1. Cutter means 8 and 9 are provided rearwardly of the rollers 3 and 4. A further pair of rollers 10 and 11 are provided to feed the paper into the apparatus. The roller 4 is connected to an apertured disc 12. A source of light 13 (FIG. 2) emits light through the apertures in the disc 12 and a photocell 14 receives the pulses of the light. The pulses reach a counter Z through a pulse former 15. The counter Z is connected to a preselector V, which preselects, for example, the size of a paper sheet. When the counter Z reaches a preselected value, a relay R is closed. The relay R affects the counter Z through a conductor 16 so as to reset the counter to zero. The electric circuit of the motor 5 is cut off through a conductor 17, thus stopping the drive roller 4. In addition, the relay R operates the cutter means 8 and 9. In this case the cutter means 9 is a cutter roll as shown in FIG. 4. From FIG. 1 it is seen that when the relay R is energized, the switch 18 is closed and thus the electric circuit leading to the electromagnet 19 is also closed. Thereupon a capacitor 20 discharges. The plunger magnet is attracted to move a lever 21, which rotates the roller 9 whose cutting edge 9' cuts the paper web.

A conductor 22 extending into the incandescent lamp 13 is provided with a safety switch 23. This operates a power source 24 for the entire apparatus so that when the current to the incandescent lamp 13 is cut off, the power source 24 is disconnected. Therefore, it is impossible that idle rotation of the roll of paper 1 occurs when the incandescent lamp is cut off thereby to stop the counting action of the counter Z and prevent it from reaching the preselected value.

Switch 23 is connected to source 24 by lines 25 and 25a. Lines 22 and 22a connect the switch with lamp 13 and lines 26 and 26a connect the switch to all remaining means of the FIG. 2 system deriving power from source 24. The switch normally provides a first connection of line 25 to lines 22 and 26 and a second connection of line 25a to lines 22a and 26a. Upon cessation of current flow in line 22, the switch discontinues such first and second connections, thereby disconnecting the supply from the system and preventing idle rotation of roller 4.

The roller knife cuts the web of paper into size a or b (FIG. 3). The size a corresponds to the longer side of the DIN A4 format and the size b corresponds to the shorter side of the DIN A5 format. Alternatively, the roller knife can cut the web of paper into sizes 0 and d, which correspond to the United States standard formats. The preselected value V determines the size into which the web of paper is cut.

The actual measurement counter Z automatically returns to its zero position upon completion of each cutting cycle.

What is claimed is:

1. A system energized by a power supply to provide copy sheets of preselected length in photocopying apparatus comprising:

(a) a roll of copying material;

(b) drive means energizable to remove copying material from said roll;

(c) sensing means generating an output pulse upon each like incremental movement of said'drive means, said sensing means including a radiant energy detector and a source energizable to emit radiant energy;

((1) pulse counting means generating an output signal upon counting a predetermined number of said output pulses;

(e) cutting means energizable to cut the copying material into copying sheets;

(f) first control means operatively responsive to said pulse counting means output signal to energize said cutting means, to reset said pulse counting means to zero count and to deenergize said drive means; and

(g) second control means for sensing a condition of inoperativeness of said source and including switch means connecting said supply to said system and operative to disconnect said supply from said system upon each sensing of said source inoperative condition.

2. The system claimed in claim 1 wherein said sensing means includes an apertured disc driven by said drive means, said disc being disposed between said source and said detector.

3. The system claimed in claim 2 wherein said drive means comprises a motor, a magnetic clutch having a first member driven by said motor and a second member engageable with said first member on said energization of said drive means, a shaft driven by said clutch second member, a first roller supported on said shaft for rotation therewith and a second roller supported for free rotation and cooperating with said first roller for removing said copying material from said roll, said shaft supporting said disc for rotation therewith.

4. The system claimed in claim 1 wherein said cutting means includes a roll knife rotatable to cut said copying material and means for rotating said knife upon receipt of said first control means output signal.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,556,368 1/1971 Rene 83208 X 3,398,619 8/1968 Nichols et al. 83-203 UX 3,177,749 4/1965 Best et al. 83208 3,318,179 5/1967 Elsas 83-208 X 3,504,586 4/1970 Acquaviva, Jr. 83208 X 3,513,741 5/1970 Shallenberg 83-369 X 3,524,371 8/1970 Kroger et al. 83369 FRANK T. YOST, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

